Chicken Cacciatore

This is slow-cooked chicken dish has a rich tomato base, made richer when cooked low and slow.  It's a great dish for entertaining and can be made a day in advance and refrigerated up to the braising part; just take it out and braise a few hours before you are ready to eat.  I like to use parsley for garnish in the colder months and basil when it's in season.  Pictured here served over grits, it's great with polenta, pasta, potatoes, or rice....or really any starch of your choosing that will go with the rich delicious sauce.

Chicken Caccitore

Ingredients

• 4-6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (red wine is fine too)
• 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• 2-3 Tbsp. capers
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• parsley or basil, for garnish

Serves 6-8
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; meanwhile bath chicken in a few squirts of lemon juice, blot with paper towels until dry and then generously salt & pepper both sides.  Pan sear each side of chicken until golden brown and crispy, but do not worry about cooking through; this may take two batches, do not crowd the chicken or it will steam and not brown well.  Remove browned chicken and set aside.
Sauté onion and pepper in Dutch oven to soften; add garlic and cook 1 more minute.  Deglaze with wine and allow alcohol to cook off.  Add tomatoes and allow mixture to cook as you break the tomatoes up with a wooden spoon.
Add chicken back to pot, cover and let cook until chicken cooks through to 165.  Once chicken is cooked through remove from pan and let rest.  Add capers to sauce and serve the sauce over the chicken.
This goes great with polenta.